What happens when you visit our Colchester Osteopathy Clinic?

So what happens when you visit our Colchester Clinic?

So, you’ve booked your appointment—whether that’s online, over the phone, through Instagram, Facebook Messenger, email, or any of the many other ways you can book. You will hopefully arrive at our very clean and modern clinic, situated within the Godbolt’s Business Park in Colchester. This brand-new development looks like converted barns, and we offer plenty of easy parking and disabled access to and throughout our clinic.

Upon opening the front door, you’ll be greeted by our friendly reception team, who will ask for your name and offer you a drink. If you’re early to your appointment, you can relax in the comfortable chairs in our waiting area, where a TV showcases information about our brilliant practitioners and clinic. The reception team will notify the practitioner you’re booked in with that you have arrived. The practitioner will then kindly introduce themselves to you and guide you to the treatment room, where a seat will be waiting for you to begin your professional consultation and assessment.

Once you are comfortable, the process of the appointment will be thoroughly explained to you. If you have any questions during your appointment, feel free to ask at any time. With your permission, we’ll begin with a thorough medical consultation, asking questions about the reason for your visit and any relevant medical history. A detailed examination typically follows, which will assess your biomechanics, posture, morphology, and check for any asymmetries that could be contributing to your issue.

Wondering what to wear? It’s important that you feel comfortable, so we recommend shorts and a T-shirt or leggings if you prefer. It is likely the osteopath will ask you to remove some of your clothing and will leave the room, if you wish, while you do so.

Next, we will palpate the area of concern. Palpation is a medical term for feeling for asymmetries on the body, and this involves assessing muscle tone, tightness, signs of inflammation, or dysfunction. This will be carried out only with your full consent and away from private areas. The practitioner will then ask you to perform simple exercises, such as bending forward and backward through your spine, to test your movement. If you’re unable or uncomfortable performing any of these exercises, you won’t be pressured to do so. Orthopedic testing may be used to stress certain tissues in the body, helping the practitioner determine if they are contributing to your issue.

Once our practitioner has enough information, they will thoroughly explain their working diagnosis and any other possibilities, ensuring you fully understand what’s going on and how you can help yourself. A treatment plan will be outlined, detailing the number and type of treatments advised for the best possible outcome. If there’s something outside of our scope of practice at the clinic, we will guide you and make sure you are referred to someone best suited to help you further.

At the end of the appointment, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions or voice any concerns. We want to work with you as a team, so we appreciate your feedback on anything you don’t understand or think might not work for you.

Before you leave the clinic room, your practitioner will walk you to reception and ask the reception team to find an available appointment that suits you, if you’d like to schedule another one. You’ll also receive a welcome pack as a thank-you, containing gifts that should aid your health and recovery.

We look forward to seeing you and starting your health journey.